Police comms worker slams rogue MP's false claim

Andrew Korner
Deputy Editor
Born and bred in Ipswich, Andrew Korner has been at the Queensland Times since 2007. Over the past decade Andrew has covered country rounds, courts, police and emergency services and been editor of the Ipswich Advertiser. Andrew is currently the deputy editor of the Queensland Times.

THE Ipswich mum who was dragged into the city's corruption scandal has been officially cleared by the Queensland Police Ethical Standards Command - and now she wants an apology from Rob Pyne.

Under parliamentary privilege, North Queensland state MP Mr Pyne earlier this year made accusations against Ipswich Police Communications civilian employee Cate Carter, including that she had provided inside information to Ipswich's former mayor Paul Pisasale.

Following months of waiting to have her name cleared, Ms Carter received a letter from the ESC dated November 13, informing her that there was no evidence to support the allegations.

The letter came as a relief but not a surprise to Ms Carter, who said she felt like there would always be a cloud hanging over her head.

"What they said about me was that I had been a trusted leak to Paul Pisasale for many years," she said.

"They said I was passing on information regarding raids, arrests and traffic accidents. They said I used Paul Pisasale to benefit my council election campaign.

"No specifics were given; they never specified a date or place for which raids, which arrests I was supposed to have been leaking.

"These allegations made me feel absolutely sick. To think I would risk my job and my ethics in that way."

Ms Carter, who also contested Division 6 in the 2016 Ipswich City Council elections, has retained her job at the Ipswich police communications centre throughout the investigation - a job she has held for the past eight years.

But she believes the real reason the allegations were made against her was because she decided to stand for election.

"This has nothing to do with my job - it was all about the election," she said.

"I'm really over politics now. This whole thing shows why normal people need to stand up in all levels of government, but also why normal people don't get involved."

Ms Carter says she has lodged a counter-complaint with the Crime and Corruption Commission for false complaints.

"They have wasted valuable police time and tax-payer money," she said.

Rob Pyne's false claim

"Pisasale has been using a staff member Cate Carter as a trusted leak to provide information

on Police Activities including police raids, arrests and accidents over a number of years. He

used this information to advise media outlets, to discuss crimes and get footage from safe